3 militants, cop killed in firing

Three militants and a policeman were killed in a gun battle at a crowded marketplace in Srinagar on Monday.

The militants were on a motorcycle and opened fire on a police party in Qamarwari, around 8 km from city centre Lal Chowk, the police said.

"Three militants were killed when they fired upon a police team. A police constable was also killed in the encounter," said Ashiq Bukhari, senior superintendent of police, Srinagar.

Two of them belonged to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyeba. The third one has been identified as Peerzada Arshad Bashir from Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, another Pakistan-based terrorist group.

Bashir was a local from the Sopore area in northern Kashmir, the police said.

The police said they had specific information about the militants' movements and had set up checkpoints across the city.

"Three motorcycle-borne people approached the check post. On being signalled to halt, they opened fired at head constable Mohammed Ashraf who died because of a critical bullet injury," Bukhari said.

Some civilians were also reportedly hurt in the shootout lasting 15 minutes. The police, however, did not confirm any civilian injuries. But eyewitnesses said a shopkeeper was severely injured in the gun battle and hospitalised.

The area has been cordoned off and the city has been put on high alert.